The Justice Department finally has an answer for Sen. Charles Grassley.
For months, the Republican senator has been seeking the names of Justice Department lawyers who represented Guantanamo detainees in their prior legal practices. His quest is part of a growing conservative movement that is critical of the lawyers’ past work, the Washington Post reports.
Among the critics is a group called Keep America Safe, the Post says. It released a controversial YouTube video this week called "DOJ: Department of Jihad?" that asks, "Who are these government officials? … Whose values do they share?"
On Tuesday, the Justice Department responded by confirming the names of seven lawyers, in addition to two already revealed, who have helped defend accused terrorists or who worked on their legal briefs, report the Los Angeles Times and ABC News. Critics had dubbed the lawyers the “Al-Qaida Seven.”
Justice Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement that the names weren’t released earlier because “we will not participate in an attempt to drag people's names through the mud for political purposes." The statement added that “Department of Justice attorneys work around the clock to keep this country safe, and it is offensive that their patriotism is being questioned."